The King's Commuters
by Emma Knightley
Summary: I won't call you arrogant if you just shut up! was the second thing I ever said to that Potter kid. If my memory serves me well, the FIRST was CoughcoughArrogant.


Usual Forewarning:

Sorry everyone, this chapter is REALLY short and_ really_ mushy. But it is a rather emotional and pivotal scene, so it had to be done. I made it brief to spare you. R&R Please!

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Chapter 1: What Happened Before

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I sprinted up the stairs as I saw a flash of green light reflect off the wall by my right shoulder. I was surprised to find that I didn't allow myself to be overcome with grief to point where I couldn't think straight. My mind was as clear as needed to act rationally. I knew that my husband, my beloved James, lay dead on the floor downstairs. There was nothing I could do about that. I knew that I could only do one thing to prevent _him_ from getting what he wanted.

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When I was younger—after I had first discovered the full meaning of the prophecy—I had thought that my fate was unfair, why was I the one to whom this must happen? But then I realized that it was not my destiny to die like that because it was what was already meant to happen. No, I would die like that because when the time came, I would _choose_ to die like that, I would _want_ to sacrifice myself.

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Now in the room at the end of the hall, I closed the door and locked it. I only had about 15 seconds before _he _would be here. I turned and gazed into the eyes of the little boy in my arms: my little Harry, who, like me and James, had a destiny.

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I won't pretend that I was an overly philosophical person, but one night I had gotten to thinking about what I would say to Harry if James and I died before he had to face Voldemort for the last time. It had taken me a long time, but these were the comforting words I had planned to tell him on my death bed (though I had not expected it to be so soon): "Live well, my beautiful, brave boy. Do not fear what should come to pass, but face it as though it were your own decision, for it undoubtedly will be. I will always be here for you."

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I whispered my final words to my extraordinary son and kissed him on the forehead between his little brows. He smiled at me and I smiled back. I was no longer afraid. I had known from the moment I first held Harry in my arms that I would willingly do this for him, all my fear had left me in that moment. And with that last look at him, I turned to face my death. I would not run away from it.

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The door was blasted off its hinges in a flash of red light. Through the dust emerged a figure, shrouded in black. I saw a pair of deep red, catlike slits for eyes. How could I ever let something so…so… _foul_ lay hands on my son? I would never, but I wondered whether my sacrifice could truly save him. Despite that moment of doubt though, I had a feeling, I felt that what I was doing was so right, so natural, and I was so sure about my decision that I knew it would protect him.

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There was a flash of green light, and I found myself here.

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Author's Note:

Okay, if you're looking at the last sentence don't get too worried, this isn't going to be one of those "And so Lily and James ended up in an alternate dimension in space. They discovered that once Harry killed Voldemort they could pop back into the real world and reunite with their son and friends. And everyone lived happily ever after, riding on magical ponies every third Tuesday of the month and eating purple fudge sickles in Madame Puddifoot's!" sci-fi, happily ever after, 'they're really still alive' type stories, so don't get annoyed yet. R&R Please!

Thanks,

Emma

P.S. I know this is unusual, but before writing this fanfic I did make an entire "Grand" yearbook of all the students in the six grades above Lily and James and the six grades below them, and the teacers and ghosts that would have been there too! Some of the information was guesswork, like Rita Skeeter for example, she does not have a specified age, so I had to just take some "authoristic license", but apart from that I just tried to include as many of the characters mentioned in the books that might have fit into that time frame (plus a few additional surprises!). I did this mainly so that I had a refrence point incase I needed say, a Ravenclaw boy who was three years Lily and James' junior, or something like that. And I would know what teachers they would have in what year etc. But it was fun too, just to see who would have been in what class at Hogwarts. So I will get that up sometime, I may wait to put it up after I have finished the story, or I may do it throughout.


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